Nowadays, a great number of IC cards are used as bank cards, credit cards, door access cards, parking lot access cards and the like. IC card readers are used to readiwrite data from/into the IC memory element of the IC card. U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,905 issued on Oct. 3, 1989 to Mita et al. discloses an IC card reader/writer which includes an upper conveying belt and a lower conveying belt for conveying the IC card sandwiched therebetween, in which the upper and lower conveying belts are arranged so as to deviate their positions from each other in the card conveying direction in order to form spaces to dispose the connector at both end edge portions of the upper and lower conveying belts. Such a card reader/writer may read cards of BULL format, USA format, JPN format, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,184 issued on Jul. 30, 1991 to Sasaki discloses a card reader using linear card conveyer means, wherein a first embodiment disclosed therein includes a solenoid energized to grip the card between a moveable clamp member and a fixed clamp member, and a threaded rod is rotated to convey the card, and a second embodiment disclosed therein includes a linear motor to convey the card, while an inter lock is formed for preventing the carriage to be conveyed into the casing before properly securing the IC card to the carriage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,678 issued on Oct. 31, 1995 to Kepley, III et al. discloses a card reader having a transducer head supported at one end of a guide path by a spring-loaded, pivoting arm. The spring is located adjacent the head and urges the head against the card as it passes under the head. The pivoted arm forces the head to follow a slightly accurate path as it moves in a direction transverse to the card.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,523 issued on Dec. 14, 1993 to Chang et al. discloses a plate spring for mounting a magnetic stripe card Teader's magnetic head, wherein the plate spring is made from a thin metal sheet having two opposite fixing wings such that the magnetic head is secured to the plate spring through a line contact and can be automatically rotated to the best reading position by a magnetic strip card to be read.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,198 issued on Mar. 2, 1993 to Do discloses a card reader for reading data recorded on a magnetic strip on a card, wherein the card reader includes a guide for guiding the card along a path past a transducer head. A gimbal arrangement mounts the head on the end of a mounting shaft which is journaled in the end of an arm for free rotation about an axis parallel to the strip as it moves along the path. By virtue of the free rotation of the head about an axis parallel to the stripe, the device adjusts for any lack of parallelism between the head and the magnetic stripe.
Nevertheless, as the rollers of the card readers disclosed in the above patents have complicated arrangements and occupy considerable spaces, the card reader have increased thickness and thus are not suitable for limited spaces (e.g., network electrical trade) or portable application (e.g., portable ID card reader for policemen). Further, the elements are FS complicated and difficult to manufacture and thus have a high cost. Further, if no uninterrupted power system is provided, the card cannot be quickly removed if interruption of service occurs or the card reader malfunctions.
Therefore, there has been a long and unfulfilled need for an improved card reader which mitigates and/or obviates the above problems.